REVIEW: ottmar LIEBERT + luna negra, EUPHORIA (Epic)

- Tim Mohr

The cover of this CD depicts an objectively good-looking guy with a Hindu goddess superimposed on his face alongside a computer-generated butterfly and flower. The liner notes talk about the mind as software, refer to "universal-ness," and offer an invitation to "achieve resonance."

Ottmar Liebert claims to have had some epiphany in 1986 that saw him learning flamenco guitar in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since then he has recorded two albums for Epic; this record features remixes of material from those two albums, mixes put together by a slew of big names.

Steve Hillage (The Orb, System 7), the EYE-Q stable from Germany, and Aki Nawaz (Transglobal Underground, Fund-A-Mental) were given, according to the promo material, "complete freedom to add and subtract and reconstruct our songs." I can only say that they should have subtracted much more.

That is, the beats and sound-effects are well done - these guys didn't get their big names for nothing - but the guitar and keyboards from the original songs relegate the album to something like a soundtrack to a New Age porno film.

The best tracks are two versions of "Lone Rider" reworked by Aki Nawaz, whose work with Transglobal Underground showed that the eclecticism of world music can produce interesting, engaging results. Unfortunately, the luna negra bits intrude like microwaved cheese-food, unsatisfactorily dripping through the otherwise enjoyable percussion and sound-bites.

Another near-miss is the track "Slip," constructed by DJ Slip of Compton's Most Wanted by sampling a luna negra piece and adding new drums and some great DJ work, most notably an understated headspin that is repeated in lieu of a breakbeat.

The EYE-Q "suspended mix" of "Havana Club" also works fairly well, largely because traces of guitar are barely in evidence. The two Steve Hillage mixes are very Orb-ish, but once again descend into velveeta territory as the keyboards and guitars come in over the top of the slow, watery beats.

There may be people who like this combination of acoustic guitar and chill-out, etheriel house material. I suppose EUPHORIA is not far from Deep Forest, as both fold world music elements and ambient into a universal-ness. Having listened to stuff like Aphex Twin, Seefeel, or Sabres of Paradise, however, I can't stomach what I perceive as a corny atmosphere on EUPHORIA. It reminds me of somebody playing guitar arrangements of Ennio Morricone's most unabashedly tear-soaked moments (the "Cinema Paradiso" soundtrack, for instance) over Orb outtakes.

Listening to Mr. Liebert is like spending time with a born-again religious convert: he seems so enthusiastic and convinced, but I feel totally awkward with him because I don't share his vision of a golden, marshmallow- filled heaven. If you share his convictions that melodramatic guitar flourishes lead to a mystical experience when accompanied by top-shelf, mellow beats, you'll love EUPHORIA. If you have your doubts about this transubstantiation, you definitely will not like his brand of euphoria.